Melitzanosalata, a delicious eggplant dip, and red pepper hummus will start your romantic meal off right; pair with strips or wedges of Mediterranean flatbread, and enjoy
Paterson, N.J. – Jan. 28, 2014 – As you plan your Valentine’s Day meal for your loved one this year, consider some Greek finger foods. There’s nothing more romantic than feeding your lover a delicious bite of savory eggplant salad or creamy red pepper hummus dip on wedges of Mediterranean flatbread.
Here are two recipes that are not only romantic finger foods, but also contain garlic, which the ancient Greeks considered an aphrodisiac with magical and therapeutic properties.
Chef Demetrios Haralambatos, the corporate chef at leading flatbread maker Kontos Foods (www.kontos.com), offers these recipes to make your Valentine’s Day really special.
Melitzanosalata
This eggplant salad makes an excellent dip that is similar to the Middle Eastern baba ghanoush dish.
- 3 eggplants
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 5 scallion bulbs, minced
- 2-3 fresh plum tomatoes seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- Pre-heat oven to 350F. Pierce the eggplant with a fork, place on a cookie sheet and place in the center of your oven for 25-35 minutes.
- Set to cool and drain on a rack. When it is cool enough, scoop the center of the eggplant into a bowl, discarding the skin.
- Mash the eggplant and stir in the garlic, scallions, tomatoes, and herbs.
- Combine the olive oil and lemon juice well and add slowly with a fork to work it into the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with strips or wedges of Kontos white or whole wheat Pocket-Less Pita and enjoy.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- 3 cups drained cooked chickpeas (Tip: If you take the time to peel your chickpeas, your hummus will come out smoother)
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 roasted red bell pepper, skinned, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 to 6 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Mash the garlic cloves with 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a smooth paste.
- Put the chickpeas and roasted red bell pepper in your food processor. Add this to the processor along with the crushed red pepper, tahini, water, 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, cumin, and pepper and process until smooth.
- Remove from processor and addmore salt and additional lemon juice to taste.
- Drizzle with remaining olive oil, sprinkle with paprika before serving with wedges or strips of Kontos white or whole wheat Pocket-Less Pita.
To learn more about Kontos flatbreads, visit www.kontos.com or www.Flatbread.com.You can also find Kontos Foods on Twitter@KontosFoods or on Facebook at www.facebook/KontosFoods. Photos are below or available upon request. The first 10 respondents can receive samples of the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita bread for review.
About Kontos Foods
Founded in 1987, Kontos Foods, Inc. is a Paterson, NJ-based provider of traditional Mediterranean foods for restaurants, hotels, food service, retail specialty stores and supermarkets worldwide. The family-owned company specializes in hand-stretched flatbreads, including the Kontos Pocket-Less Pita®, Fillo dough, pastries, olives, gyro meats, and Greek yogurts, as well as nearly 50 varieties of multi-ethnic flatbreads. Kontos, which has over 225 employees and was founded by Evripides (Evris) Kontos together with his son Steven, together bring over 100 years’ experience in the premium food industry. To learn more, visit www.kontos.com, or call (973) 278-2800.
Media Contact
Patty Buchanan
Fastlane on Behalf of Kontos
(973) 670-1203
pbuchanan@fast-lane.net
Kontos Contact
Warren Stoll
Kontos Foods Inc.
(973) 278-2800, ext. 326
WarrenS@kontos.com